Wine from Riebeek Kasteel

Riebeek Kasteel is not like most of the other wine regions in South Africa as it harvests wine and table grapes. Some of the most popular wines in the world are produced in the South African wine region of Riebeek Kasteel.  The village is one of the oldest in the area, and is in the heart of the region. Kasteel is one of the oldest villages in the area and is located in the heart of Riebeek Valley on Kasteelberg Mountain.

If you were to drive around the area, you could mistake Riebeek as a village in Tuscany. Riebeek Kasteel is famous for olives, and of course, Shiraz wine. The vineyards stretch alongside the foothills of Kasteelberg.

The South African wine industry began in 1652 when Jan Van Riebeeck, a Dutch surgeon, was asked to manage the supply station in modern day Cape Town. In order to control scurvy, Riebeeck planted vineyards and started to produce wine and grapes. The first harvest happened seven years after landing in 1659.

The soil consists of Malmesbury shale towards the bottom, with loamy soil on the higher grounds while being interspersed with rich Hutton soils. The climate is perfectly suited to viticulture with low rainfall and warm summer days with cool breezes at night. The cold winters allow the grape vines to rest while they build up their reserves.